Burial-case



.within the burial-case.

NITE STATES XVILSON V. BUTLER, OF LIMA, OHIO.

BU RlAL-CAS E.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 447,662, dated March 3, 1891.

Application filed NovemberB, 1890. Serial No. 370,753. (No model.) i

To all whom it may concern: a

Be it known that I, WVILSON XV. BUTLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lima, in the county of Allen, State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Burial-Cases, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention has relation to burial-vaults; and the object of my invention is to provide cases within which ordinary coffins and their contents can be hermetically sealed up, and which, while comparatively imperishable, can be readily and cheaply manufactured in various sizes, will not be too heavy to prevent handling about as conveniently as the common boxes now in use,will not be liable, though composed of frangible material, to be broken under any usual condition of handling and transportation, and shall, by reason of the presence of suitable handles, be rendered easy of carriage and management, and after burial its cover-shall become immovably locked and sealed to the body of the receptacle. I attain these objects by the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side view of a burial-ease construoted in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical central section of the same. Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section on line x 50 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical section on line y g of Fig. 3.

In said drawings, A represents the receptacle, which is made of porcelain, stoneware, or vitrified terra-cotta, the bottom of which is provided with raised platform a, extending nearly the whole length to uniformly support the coffin to be placed therein, but having depressions a at the ends to facilitate the removal of the ropes used in lowering the coffin Under the said platform the bottom is arched at a to lighten the case and at the same time strengthen it, as the molded arch is stronger than a flat bottom and permits the case to settle evenly upon the bottom of the excavated grave, even if said bottom is not perfectly level and smooth. The upper edge of the case is provided with a groove a extending around it to receive a,

thin coat of cement to unite it to the cover 13. Said cover is preferably of the same material as the case A. It is provided with two handles B in the top, under which ropes can be passed to lower the cover and close the case after it has received a coffin and contents. Said handles can be strengthened by having them molded upon bent rods 11 having theiiuends hooked and anchored to the body of the cover. The sides of the cover B are also provided with handles 1) to facilitate the handling thereof in warehouses and to help in guiding in exact position upon the edge of the case after the latter has been placed in the groove, the groove (0 provided with cement, and the coffin lowered therein, as hereinafter described.

To retain the cover sealed and locked immovably to the upper edge of the case, there is formed in the latter one or moredovetail cavities a in each side to receive correspondingly shaped or headed pins or projections Z) pendent from the cover, and in said cavities cement a has been introduced as well as in the groove a before lowering the cover on top of the burial-case.

To facilitate the handling of the case A in warehouses as well as the lowering thereof in the grave, it is provided with rounded and undergrooved handles d, preferably formed integral therewith, and said handlesare placed vertically under the position occupied by the handles Z) of the cover when the latter covers the burial-case, so as to facilitate the introduction of pins b and the dovetailed cavities of. For this purpose light guide-cords c are either attached to the handles cl or preferably looped thereunder and made to extend to and beyond the top of the grave, and are passed through the handles 1) before the cover is lowered and attendants retain them under tension while the cover is being lowered.

To prevent the loops of the cords c from escaping and becoming disengaged from the handles (Z, light straps 6, preferably of springy metal, are secured to the sides of the case A immediately under the handles by means of screws f, upon which they may be allowed to be swung (under some pressure) as turn-buttons;

but the position they are desired to occupy is generally, as shown in the drawings, with one end bearing against the surface of the handles cl. The straps 6 will also protect the handles (Z against collisions while in warehouses.

Having now fully described my invention, .l claim- 1. The combination of the receptacle of a burialease, having a groove a and dovetailed cavities 60' extended below the bottom of said groove in the edge of the receptacle, with the cover having headed pins U to enter said cavities and be locked therein with cement in said cavities, substantially as described.

2. The combination of the receptacle of a burial-case of plastic material, having rounded undergreoved handles (Z in the sides thereof, with the cover 13, having handles Z) Verticall y above the handle (l, substantially as and 15 for the purpose described.

WILSON W. BUTLER.

Witnesses:

\VILLIAM L. BIACKENZIE, M. MACKENZIE. 

